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Rm Nfi m MB A UG N .L m d O M 0 w Patented Nov. 10, 1896.

WITH ESSES: f1.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN P. OULGAN, OF SIVISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNIONSIVITOII AND SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

LlGHTNlNG-ARRESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 571,109, dated November10, 1896.

Application filed June 1,1896.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN P. CULGAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Swissvale, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented or discovered certain new and usefulImprovements in Lightning- Arresters, of which improvements thefollowing is a specification.

The invention described herein has for its object a construction oflightning-arrester for the protection of aerial electric wires of suchcharacter that it will afford eflicient protection against heavy chargesof electricity and will not aifect the ordinary working of the lines.

In general terms the invention consists in the provision of a swingingmember which shall be attracted to another member in such manner as toform a path for an electric current to ground, and on the change ofpolarity due to the formation of such electric by-pass a quickseparation of the two members will be effected.

The invention is more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a form of lightning-arresterembodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a similar view, the plane of sectionbeing taken on the line II II, Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are sectionalelevations illustrating other forms or modifications of my improvement.Fig. 5 is a plan view of the contact-plates of the 0011- struction shownin Fig. at. Figs. 6 and 7 are perspective views of contact-plates.

In the practice of my invention the linewire 1 is connected by asuitable binding-post to a plate 2, secured to the under side of a lidor cover 3 (preferably formed of insulating material) of the inclosingcase or shell 4. To the plate 2 is hinged a pending tongue 5, formed ofmetal,the hinge connection between the tongue and the plate 2 being suchas to present no material resistance to the passage of an electriccurrent. This tongue 5 is so hung within the case or shell that on aslight vibration thereof it will come into contactwith anotherconducting body, which is connected to the ground. In the constructionshown in Fi 1 this conductin bod 1 or member is Serial No. 593,760. (Nomodel.)

formed by a metal tongue 6, hinged to a metal plate 7, also secured tothe under side of the cap or cover 3 of the shell, but insulated fromthe plate 2 and its tongue, and is electrically connected by thebinding-post S to the groundwire 9. Under normal conditions the tongue5, being connected to the line-wire, will be positively charged, and thetongue 0, being connected to the ground, will be negatively charged, sothat said tongues will be attracted toward each other. These tongues,however, are hung such a distance apart that under a normal charge inthe line-wire they will not be drawn into contact with each other, butin case of an abnormal charge in the line-wire the tongues will besufficiently attracted to be brought into contact or in such proximityto each other that the current will pass from the tongue 5 to the tongue6 and thence to ground. This passage of the current from one tongue tothe other will impart like polarites to said tongues, which will beimmediately repelled one from the other, thereby restoring the breakbetween the line-wire and ground. In order to prevent the tongues frombeing fused together, it is preferred to secure carbon buttons 10 011the ends of the tongues or such parts thereof as will come in contactwith each other in the normal operation of the device.

Under ordinary conditions two single tongues 5 and 6 will be ample toprotect a single line-wire, but in order to protect a larger numberthereof or to insure greater protection a series of two, three, or moretongues may be formed upon the plates 2 and '7, as shown in Fig. 3, andin lieu of hinging the tongues to the plates the former may be formed ofresilient metal, so that in case of a strong attraction between twotongues they can move into contact and then spring away when similarlycharged. As shown in Figs. 4:, 5, 6, and 7, a number of such tongues maybe arranged on a groundplate 7 and a series of line-wires may beconnected to independent line plates 2, said plates 2 and 7 beingprovided with one or more tongues, as hereinbefore described. It is notnecessary that the tongues on both plates should be made of resilientmetal, as

contact can be formed between the two tongues it one is rigid, so as tobe incapable of swinging movement, while the other has sulficientresiliency or freedom of movement to be drawn into contact with theother stationary tongue.

It is characteristic of my improvement that a constant are cannot beformed between the two members of the device for the reason that as soonas a current is established. between the two members they will becharger with a like polarity and will thereupon rcpcl each othersufficiently far to break any are which might be formed. In practice itis found desirable to so arrange and construct the tongues that eyenwhen they are attracted toward each other they will not come into directcontact with each other, and hence the linewire will not be entirelygrounded, but will continue to receive a portion of the current, therebypreventin an interrui ition of the working of the line-wire.

I do not limit myself herein to any particular construction orarrangement of the parts of the arrester, as I consider within myinvention any construction embodying at least one movable member, whichis adapted to be attracted toward or repelled from the other member, oneof the members being con nected to the line-wire and the other memberbeing connected to the groum'l.

I claim herein as my invention 1. In a lightning-arrester, hecombinationof two members, each provided with a carbon contact face or point, oneof which is movable, one member being adapted to be connected to theground, and the other to the line-wire, said members being arranged in.such relation to each other that when the line-wire is normally charged,they will be separated one from the other, but will be drawn toward.each other when the line-wire is abnormally charged, substantially asset forth.

In a lightning-arrester, the combination of two tongues movable towardand from each other and provided with carbon buttons, said tongues beinginsulated from each other, and adapted to be connected. to ground, andto a line-wire, respectively, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN P. GULGAN.

Witnesses:

DARWIN S. \i'onco'rr, '1. E. Garrnun.

